Glove turning machine



Feb. 6, 1951 BECKER 2,540,503

GLOVE TURNING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

Feb. 6, 1951 BECKER 2,540,503

GLOVE TURNING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

BY W S J m/C24, gy uM- M MW v Feb. 6, 1951 BECKER 2,540,503

GLOVE TURNING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

W4. Mw/

i 'atented Feb. 6,

2,540,503 GLOVE TURNING MACHINE Robert E. Becker, Logansport, Ind.,assignor to Logansport Machine 00.,

Indiana Inc., a corporation of Application February 4, 1947, Serial No.726,352

M invention relates in general to a machine 'for turning gloves insideout and to a pressure system for operating the glove turning machine.

One of th objects of my invention is the provision of a glove turningmachine for turning a glove inside out.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a glove turningmachine which turns the fingers of the glove inside out and then turnsprovision of a glove turning machine to turn a glove inside out which isoperated by an air res sure system with the sequence of operation of theglove turning'machine automatically controlled by valves in the airpressure system.

A further object of my invention i the provision of a glove turningmachine in which the machine is operated by air pressure cylinders withthe admittance of air to the cylinders automatically controlled by valvemeans.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision of a glove turningmachine having cylinwith the sequence movement-of the pistons insthecylinders controlled by the cooperation of the movement of the pistonswith valve means in the pressure system connected to the cylinders.

Another object of my invention is'the provision of a pressure circuitfor operating a'pair of cylinders in which valve means cause the pistonof one cylinder to reciprocally move in one direction and then in theother direction while the piston inthe other cylinder is in oneposition.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a mechanism having afirst and second element, each movable reciprocally in a first andsecond direction with a pressure system for moving the elements, andvalve means in the pressure system for regulating th sequence ofmovement of the elements. Other objects and a fuller understanding of myinvention may be had by referring to the following description andclaims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:Figure 1 of my drawings is a side elevational view of my glove turningmachine; Figure 2 of my drawings is a front elevational view of m gloveturning machine; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view takenalong the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view illustrating the position of a] glove placed over thefinger tubes;

11 Claims. (Cl. 223-40) Figure 5 is a view illustrating the position ofthe glove with the fingers turned inside out;

Figure 6 is a view illustrating the position of the glove with the wristbody portion of the glove turned inside out;

Figure '7 is a view illustrating the glove turning machine just afterthe glove has been turned inside out and removed from the machine andwith the machine in readiness for another glove; and

Figure 8 isa schematic diagram of the air pressure system includingvalves for operating my glove turning machine.

My glove turning machine, the preferred design of which is illustratedin my drawing, cornprises finger tubes I0, finger rods I! and a stripperplate I2 normally disposed about the finger tubes III. The finger rods II are reciprocally movable in a first direction into the ends of thefinger tubes I and in a second direction out 'itsnormal position in thesecond direction to a position about the finger rods II and then in thefirst direction to its normal position.

v The finger rods II are reciprocally moved in the first and seconddirection by an air pressure operated cylinder, designated in m drawingsby the letter B. The stripper plate I2 is similarly moved reciprocallyin the first and in the second direction by an air pressure operatedcylinder, designated b the letter A inmy drawings. The finger tubes I0,and the cylinders A andHB may be supported in cooperative relationshipby a suitable framework 53. v.

The finger rods II are carried by a piston rod I4 which extends from andis actuated b the cylinder B. The finger rods II and, the finger tubes!are constructed of a length whereby they may cooperate to turn thefingers 26 of, the glove I 9 inside out. without ripping the glove. Thestripper plate I2 is carried by a piston rod I5 which is actuated by thecylinder A. The finger rods I I are kept in alignment .by an align mentguidefarm- IB. This arm fastens the-fin; ger rods II to the piston rodI4 of cylinder-"-13 and is reciprocally movably mounted on the pis tonrod I5 of cylinder A. Th stripper plate I2 iskept in alignment by slotmeans 30 which engage a slide projection 3| of the framework I3'.

It is to be understoodthat although I describe the parts of thestructureof my preferred glove turning mechanism with a certain degree ofparticularity, numerous changes and details may be incorporated thereinwithout departing from the scope of my invention.

The finger tubes I and finger rods II in my preferred glove turningmachine are placed in a position to accommodate either a left-handedglove or a right-handed glove, as is best illustrated in Figure 3. Thefinger tubes I0 comprise individual finger tubes 80, 8I, 82 and 83placed. in a straight line with a thumb tube 84 placed between the endfinger tube 80 and the next adjacent and finger tube 8| of this line oftubes and in front of this line of tubes. For a glove for the oppositehand the thumb of the glove 'is placed over a thumb tube 85 locateddirectly behind the line of finger tubes 80, 8|, 82 and 83.

The actual turning of a glove inside out may be best explained byreferring to the Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 of my drawings. I designate aglove I9 as having fingers 20 and a wrist body portion H. To turn theglove I9 inside out the operator places the glove I9 over the fingertubes J0. A finger tube IEI extends into each and every one of thefingers 20 of theglove I9. The wrist body portion of the glove extendstoward the stripper plate I2 which is normally positioned about thefinger tubes I0. When the operator has placed the glove I9 over thefinger tubes I0, he merely has to move a lever 66 to start the operationof the glove turning. machine which will completely turn the glove I9inside out.

The finger rods II are moved in the first di rection into the fingertubes I0. As each individual finger rod moves into its respective fingertube, it engages the end of the finger which is over that tube and pullsthefinger into the tube, thus turning the finger inside out. Theposition of the glove l9 on my glove turning machine just after thefingers have been pulled into the tubes is illustrated in Figure 5. V

The next step in the operation of my glove turning machine to turn theglove I9 completely inside out is to move the stripper plate I2 in thesecond direction from its normal position about the finger tubes Ill toa position about the finger rods II. The finger rods II are held in thefinger tubes In to hold the fingers 20 of, the glove therein while thestripper plate I2 is moved in the second direction to turn the wristbody portion 2| of the glove I 9 inside out. Figure 6 of my drawingsbest illustrates the position of the finger tubes II], the finger rodsII, and the stripper plate I2, just as the stripplf plate has stoppedmoving in the second direction to turn the wrist body portion H of theglove I9 inside out.

The stripper plate I2 must now be movedin the first direction past theglove I9 to its normal position about the finger tubes II]. To permitthe stripper plate I2 to move past the glove I9 without catching thewrist body portion 21 thereof and bunching the glove up or ripping it, Ihave constructed the stripper plate I2 with two half portions 25 and 26.These half portions 25 and 26 are normally disposed to lie substantiallyin a plane to form a fiat surface with the center portion cut outwhereby they may extend about the finger tubes II]. The half portions 25and 26 may be fastened to a perimetrical support means 2'1 by hinges 28.The perimetrical support 21 extends about the finger tubes Ill and iscarried by the piston rod I extending from cylinder A. The half portion25 is hingedly fastened on one side of the finger tubes l0, and the halfportion 26 is hingedly fastened on the opposite side of the finger tubesl0. As shown, springs 29, fastened by welding or other suitable means tothe support 21, hold the half portions 25 and 26 in substantially a fiatsurface. It is understood that any suitable perimetrical support 21 andhinge 28 together with a spring 29 may be employed for the purpose ofnormally holding these half portions 25 and 2B in a substantially fiatplane to produce the stripper plate I2.

As this stripper plate l2 moves in the first direction past the glove I9and to its normal position about the finger tubes I0 after turning thewrist body portion 2I of the glove I9 inside out, the half portions 25and 26 separate to increase the distance therebetween to permit thestripper plate I2 to travel over the glove I9. As soon as the stripperplate I2 has traveled past the glove I9, the springs 29 cause thestripper plate half portions 25 and 26 to return to their normalpositions constituting substantially a fiat plane. This hingedlyseparating of the half portions 25 and 26 of the stripper plate I2prevents the stripper plate from riping or damaging the glove I9 as ittravels in the first direction to its normal position about the fingertubes I0.

When the stripper plate I2 has again reached its normal position aboutthe finger tubes I 0, and the glove is completely turned inside out, thefinger rods II move in the second direction out of the finger tubes Illand to their original position, as is illustrated in Figure 70f mydrawings. The operator may remove the glove from the glove turningmachine after the finger rods II have moved in the second direction fromthe finger tubes It! to their original position.

The finger rods II are terminated in ballshaped knobs I! which engagethe ends of the fingers 20 of the glove I9. The knob provides for alarge end of the finger rod to engage the end of the finger without thefinger rod filling up the tube and thus prevent injury or damage to theglove finger as it is being pulled into the finger tube. The finger ofthe glove may partially crumple about the finger rod above the knob asit is being pulled into the tube.

The pressure system for operating the cylinders A and B to cause theglove turning machine to turn the glove I9 placed thereon inside out maybest be described by referring to Figure 8 of my drawings. Althoughother pressure'systems, such for example oil pressure, may be used, Ihave found that air pressure is the most convenient and satisfactory formy glove turning machine. This air may be supplied by an air pressuresupply line 57 from any suitable air pressure unit.

My preferred air pressure control system which operates the cylinders Aand B, comprises in general a master control valve 55, a valve 5I,'atrip valve 52, a first sequence valve 53 and a second sequence valve 54,all of which are connected by suitable conduits to form the system. Ihave illustrated my preferred control system for the air operatedcylinders A and B symbolically in Figure 8 of my drawings. The mastercontrol valve 59, illustrated symbolically in my drawings, has an inletopening 55 connected by a conduit 56 to the air pressure supply line 5The master control valve 58 also has outlet openings 58 and 59 and anexhaust port 69. The valve may be said to be a two-position valve. Whenthe valve is in the first position, the inlet opening 55 is connectedwith the outlet'opening'58; and the outlet opening 59 is connected withthe exhaust port 60.

When the valve is in the second position, the inlet opening 55 isconnected with the outlet opening 59, and the outlet opening 58 isconnected with the exhaust port 66. A conduit 6|, connected to the topof cylinder A and to the outlet opening 58 of the master control valve50, transmits air therebetween. A conduit 64 connects the outlet 59 ofthe master control valve 50 to the top of the cylinder B.

An air pressure operated valve positioner 62 is connected by suitablemechanical means, as illustrated by the dash-dot line 53, to the mastercontrol valve 50 to position the master control valve 50 in the first orin the second position. The valve positioner 52, which positions themaster control valve 50, is illustrated in my drawings as a cylinderwith a suitable piston movable endwise therein. The piston ismechanically connected, as is symbolically shown by the dash-dot line63, to the control portion 14 of the master control valve 50 forpositioning the control portion 14 in either the first or the secondposition. In actual practice, the master control valve 50 and the valvepositioner 52 may be constructed as a single unit.

The valve 5i has an inlet opening, an outlet opening and an exhaust port61, and may be operated by the lever 65 or other suitable means. Theinlet opening is connected to the supply line 51. The outlet opening isconnected by conduit 65 to one end 32 of the valve positioner 52. Whenthe valve 5| is not held in open position to connect the valvepositioner 62 directly to the air pressure supply line 51, the valveconnects the conduit 65 and thus the valve positioner 52 to the exhaustport 61.

The trip valve 52, also shown diagrammatically in my drawings, has aninlet opening 58, and an exhaust opening III. The valve is operatedthrough suitable mechanical means, illustrated in my drawings bydash-dot lines II, the cam 34 and the boss 35, by the movement of thestripper plate I2 carried by the piston rod I5 extending from cylinderA. The boss 35 is fastened to the stripper plate I2, and the cam 34 isfastened to the framework I3. When the stripper plate I2 moves past thecam 34 the boss 35 moves the cam 34 to operate the trip valve 52. Theinlet opening I58 of the trip valve 52 is connected directly to the airpressure supply line 5?. The outlet opening 69 is connected by a conduitI2 to the opposite end 33 of the valve positioner 52.

The first sequence or relief valve 53 is connected by a conduit I6between the top of cylinder A and the bottom of cylinde B. The secondsequence or relief valve 54 is similarly connected by conduit 73 betweenthe top of cylinder B and the bottom of cylinder A. These sequence orrelief valves 53 and 54 may be any suitable relief valve which willpermit air to pass through the valve only after the pressure of that-airhas reached a desired value. In my drawings, I have illustrated thevalves symbolically and do not intend to limit the scope of my inventionto the strict design of any particular valve used in my air pressuresystem.

In the operation of my glove turning machine, the operator places aglove I9 over the finger tubes l9 and raises the lever 66. The lever 66operates the valve 51 permitting air to fiow from the air pressuresupply line 51 through the conduit 65 and into one end 32 of the valvepositioner 62, thus moving the piston I5 endwise therein. The valve 5|may be restored to its the valve 15 has moved endwise. When the pis ton15 in the valve positioner 62 is moved endwise, the control valveportion I4 is moved to the second position, and thereby permits air topass from the air pressure supply line 57 through the conduit 56, theinlet 55, and outwardly through the outlet 59 into the conduit 64 andthe top of cylinder B. The pressure in the conduit 64 and also in thetop of the cylinder. B builds up, thus forcing the piston rod I4downwardly or in the first direction to move the finger rods I I intothe finger tubes ID for pulling the fingers 20 of the glove I9 therein.

The valve 5 I, upon being returned to its normal position, exhausts theconduit 65 andthe one end 32 of the valve positioner 62 through itsexhaust port 61. When the pressure in the cylinder B has built to apressure substantially equal to the pressure of the air supply line 51,the second sequence or relief valve 54 operates to permit the air toenter the bottom of cylinder A through conduit 13. The air entering thebottom of cylin-, der A causes the piston rod I5 to move upwardly or inthe second direction, thus causing the stripper plate I2 to move fromits normal position about the finger tubes I I and thereby turn thewrist body portion 2| of the glove I9 inside out.

In turning the wrist body portion of the glove inside out, the pistonrod 15, after it reachesa predetermined elevation, causes the boss35,;on the stripper plate I2 to engage the cam 34 which operates througha suitable mechanical mechanism, illustrated by the dash-dot line I I,to move the trip valve 52 to connect the conduit 12 to the air pressuresupply line 51. With the air valve 52 in this position, the air goesthrough the conduit 12 into the other end 33 of the valve positioner 62to move the piston I5 back-to its original position and thus move themaster control valve 50 to its first position.

With the master control valve 55 in its first position, the top ofcylinder A is connected through conduit 6| to the air pressure supplyline 51. At the same time, the top of the cylinder B and the bottom ofthe cylinder A are connected through their respective conduits andthrough the master control valve 55 to the exhaust port 60 to exhaustthe pressure from those conduits. The air moving into the top ofcylinder A cause the piston rod I5 to move downwardly or in the firstdirection to return the stripper plate I2 to its normal position. As thepiston rod 15. moves in this first direction, the trip valve 52 isagainpositioned to exhaust the conduit line I2 and the other end 33 of thevalve positioner 62 through the trip valve 52 by means of its exhaustport Hi.

When the pressure in the cylinder'A is substantially equal to that inthe air pressure supply line 51, the sequence relief valve 53 operatesto permit air to travel through the conduit I6 and into the bottom ofthe cylinder B. This air, thus building up a pressure in the bottom ofthe cylinder B with the top of the cylinder exhausting through thecontrol valve 59, moves the piston rod I4 in the second direction orupward to remove the finger rods II from the finger tubes ID of theglove machine. After the finger rods have moved in the second direction,theglo-ve I9 may preferred form with a certain degree of particu-- iaiity, it isunderstood that the present disclosure or the-preferred formhas been made only by Way of. example and that numerous changes in thedetails of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may-.be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

Whatis' claimed is:

1'. A machine for turning inside .out a glove having fingers and awrist-body portion, said machine comprising tube means over which theglove is placed with the tube .means extending into the fingers, rodmeans reciprocally movable in a first direction into said tube means andin a second direction out of said tube means. first pressure means forreciprocally movin said rod means,plate :means disposed normally aboutsaid tube means and movable in said first and in said second direction,second pressure means for reciprocally :moving said plate mean in saidfirst and in said second direction, said first pressure means movingsaid rod means in said first direction to pull the fingers of saidgloves into said tube means and thereby turn the fingers inside out,said second pressure means moving said plate means in said seconddirection to engage and move the wrist-body portion of the glove fromthe tube means onto the rod means and thereby turn the wrist-bodyportion of the gloves inside out, said second pressure means moving said:plate means past said glove and in said first direction to its normalposition, and said first pressure means moving said rod means in saidsecond direction to its original position whereby the turned glove maybe removed from the machine.

'2. A machine for turning inside out a glove having fingers and aWrist-body portion, said mach-inc comprising tube means over which theglove is placed with the tube means extending into the fingers, firstmeans reciprocally movable in a first direction into said tube means andin a'second direction out of said tube means, secondmeans disposednormally about said tube means and movable in said first and in saidsecond direction, and pressure means for -moving' said first means andsaid second means in said first and in said second directions, saidfirst'means moving in said first direction to pull the fingers of saidglove into said tube means for turning the fingers inside out, saidsecond means moving-in said second direction to move the-wrist-bodyportion of the glove from the tube means for turning the Wrist-bodyportion of the glove inside out, said second means then moving pastsaidglove and in said first direction to its normal position after ithas turned the wristbody portion inside out, and said first means movingin said second direction to its orignal position whereby the turnedglove may be removed from the machine.

8. Aimachine for turning inside out a glove having fingers and aWrist-body portion, said machine-comprising tube means over which theglove is placed With the tube means extending 5 into the fingers, firstmeans for pulling the fingers of said glove into said tube means forturningthe'fingers'inside out, and econd means for movingthe Wristbodyportion of the glove from the 'tubcmeans for turning the wrist-bodyportion of the glove inside out, said first means holdin said fingerswithin said tube means while saidsecondmeans turns the said wrist bodyportionpinside, out.

.4. A machine for turning a glove inside out. said glove having fingersand a wrist-body por tion, said machine comprising tube means over whichthe glove is placed with the tube means extending into the fingers,first pressure actue ated means for pulling the fingers of said gloveinto said tube means for turning the fingers in: side out,- and secondpressure actuated means for moving the wrist-body portion of the glovefrom the tube means and past the fingers for turning the wrist-bodyportion of the glove inside out.

.5. In a glove turning machine having hollow glove support means and rodmeans movable in a first direction into the support means and in asecond direction out of the support means, the provision of separableplate means alignable in a plane at a starting position extending aboutsaid support means and movable therefrom in said second direction toturn the wrist. portion of the glove onto the rod means, and thenmov.-.- able in the first direction over the turned glove to itsstarting position.

6. In a glove turning machine having tube means and having rod meansmovable in a first direction into said tube means and in a seconddirection out of said tube means, the provision of separable plate meansalignable in a plane at a starting position extending about said tubesand movable in said second and then in said first direction, and meansto move said separable plate means in said second direction to push theglove from the tube means and onto the rod means and then in said firstdirection over the glove to its starting position while said rod meansvis disposed in the tube means.

7. In a glove turning machine having tube means and having rod meansmovable in a first direction into, said tube means and in a seconddirection out of said tube means, the provision of separable plate meansalignalole in a plane at a starting position extending about said tubesand movable in said second and then in said first direction, andpressure actuated means moving said separable plate means in said seconddirection to push the glove from the tube means and onto the rod meansand then moving said plate means in said first direction over the gloveto its starting position while said rod means is disposed in the tubemeans, and valve means to control the movement of the pressure actuatedmeans.

8. In a glove turning machine having tube means and having rod meansmovable in a first direction into said tube means and in a seconddirection out of said tube means, the provision of separable plate meansalignable in a plane at moving said separable plate means in saidseconddirection to push the glove from the tube means and onto the rodmeans and then moving said. plate means in said first direction over theglove. to its starting position while said rod means 'lSf disposed inthe tube means, said separable plate means comprising half portionshingedly fas, tened to said pressure actuated means and hingedlyseparable when moved over the turned, glove to the starting position,and valve means. to control the movement of the pressure actuatedmeans.

9. A glove turning machine for a glove hav-. ing fingers and a Wristbody portion, said Illa-- chine comprising hollow support means over-'which .the-glove is placed with the support means extending into thefingers, rod means movable into said support means to pull the fingersof the glove therein, a pressure actuated piston carrying said rodmeans, separable plate means alignable in a plane at a starting positionextending about said support means and movable therefrom in'a firstdirection to a position about said rod means, pressure actuated means tomove said separable plate means and the wrist body portion therewith insaid first direction and then to move said separable plate means overthe turned glove to its starting position, and valve means responsive tothe movement of said rod means to control the movement of the platemeans.

10. In a glove turning machine having hollow finger receiving means andfinger holding means movable in a first direction into the fingerreceiving means and in a second direction out of the finger receivingmeans, the provision of stripper means alignable in a plane at astarting position extending about said support means and movabletherefrom in said second direction to turn the Wrist portion of theglove onto the finger holding means, and then movable in the firstdirection over the turned glove to its starting position.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 881,155 Robinson Mar. 10, 1908978,434 Crosby Dec. 13, 1910 993,937 Abbott May 30, 1911 1,348,077 BaumJuly 27, 1920 1,735,688 Lowry Nov. 12, 1929 2,233,098 Hodnett Feb. 25,1941 2,427,933 Summers Sept. 23, 1947

